THE, NE, ¥ORIER !  7 eleventh annual meeting, and that it had been in bad shape financially during the Depression but was now in the clear; both attendance and revenue had risen steadily over the past ten years. One of the officials explained to me that the Dutchess County Fair is run as a non-profit "educational" enterprise, in contrast to some other fairs, like the well-known one at Danbury, which are privately owned commercial ventures. The Fair at Rhinebeck is partly support- ed by New York State and Dutchess County, which jointly put up the cash prizes for winning exhibits. The at- tendance this year was something like a hundred thousand, counting all six days. I didn't bother to get the final official figures, since they are based on paid admissions and would there- fore, I thought, be misleading The gates to the Fair were manned by uniformed Pinkerton men, and doubt- less they let no unauthorized person slip in through the conventional en- trances, but I found places where chil- dren were sneaking in from adjacent fields. Then, too, many of those present were exhibitors, who came in on passes, and since the Fair is very much a family event, with members of two or three generations arriving in the same car and both young and old exhibiting, the line between paying spectators and non- paying participants is a dim one. I got the impression that there were also many barn-sleepers on hand, as there had been in my day--some of them, to be sure, in line of duty, being herdsmen and the like, but others youngsters who stayed just for fun. The fact t]3at the Fair played on Sun- day was a radical change from the old days, and one that had been introduced only last year. At that time, I was told, there had been several complaints from church groups, but this year there were none. Much the biggest crowds came on Saturday and Sunday afternoon, and on both occasions I heard several an- nouncements over the public-address system concerning lost childrenor, more accurately, lost parents, since the authorities always seemed to have the child in hand but to be unable to locate its parents. Some of the children were too young or too confused to give their names, and in such cases the announcer would describe them and what they were wearing. The public-address sys- tem was a key part of the Fair, and was used for messages of many sorts, like "Will the Bond Bread man go to the such-and-such booth immediately?" and "Will the owner of a red Stude- baker, license number so-and-so, please you are cordially invited, to see Jofa's exciting Art in Fabrics Exhibit, showing the latest Fall drapery and upholstery fabrics for the home, Here you will see a superb collection of fabrics beautifully displayed.., handsome prints, gay chintzes, luxurious silks, distinguished weaves and textures. Whether you plan to purchaso fabrics for your home now or later, make it a point to see Jofa's Art m Fabrics Exhibit. Although JOFA FABRICS may be actually purchased only through your decorat.or, upholsterer, or decorating department of your favorite store, you may visit our Street Floor Showroom .... see the fabrics and make your selection. Our Stxth Floor Showroom is ]or Decorators Only STREET FLOOR SHOWROOM 45 East 53rd Street, New York 22 PLaza 5-0500